The first time I was on her was in 1974, when one of my mother's cousins came to visit us. That early memory, all deck and rigging, formed a huge part of my childhood idea of what tall ships were LIKE.

She goes out into the harbor every year on the 4th of July for what they call a "turnaround cruise" - to get her pointed the opposite direction at the dock. There's a lottery to get a ticket to be aboard when she does that. I have not yet won a ticket. But we discovered that when she does that, it's just tugboats moving her. No sails.</p>

This is the first time she had sails set since her 200th birthday celebration in 1997.

SAILS.

Please excuse any fangirl incoherency. This was like getting to see Ted Williams come back and play an exhibition game with today's lineup, or something.